The Real Reason why the US Bought Alaska from Russia

Рет қаралды 1,257,371

11 ай бұрын

The purchase of Alaska is surrounded by one of the most persistent historical myths of our time. It was dubbed "Seward's Folly," after then Secretary of State William H. Seward, and was supposedly widely opposed by the public. But that... isn't true.
In this video, we're taking you through the events surrounding the Purchase of Alaska.
Support me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/HindsightYT (starting at $2 per month)
FULL TRANSCRIPT + SOURCES:
docs.google.com/document/d/10ibK0BtShqI3oxEsMaaDLSv6po8xEiq9/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=116393133462297140352&rtpof=true&sd=true
MAIN SOURCES:
There Are Two Versions of the Story of How the U.S. Purchased Alaska From Russia (Smithsonian):
www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-russia-gave-alaska-americas-gateway-arctic-180962714/
Purchase of Alaska, 1867 (Office of the Historian):
history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/alaska-purchase
Seward's Bargain: The Alaska Purchase from Russia (National Archives):
www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1994/winter/alaska-check
Timeline of Important Laws and Events Impacting Tribal Governments in Alaska (University of Alaska Fairbanks):
public.courts.alaska.gov/web/cip/docs/icwa/timeline-laws-events.pdf
The Alaska Purchase (Library of Congress):
www.loc.gov/collections/meeting-of-frontiers/articles-and-essays/alaska/the-alaska-purchase/
#PurchaseOfAlaska #USHistory

Пікірлер: 788

@nickwaah2702 6 ай бұрын

I appreciate how you didn’t kill us with “like & subscribe” crap but asked us to consider watching more videos. I thank you for the work done on this informative video.

@Buster3752 10 ай бұрын

The reason why it’s not Canadian is because back then Canada was the British colony and the Russians didn’t want the Brits to get stronger

@mirielle6258 10 ай бұрын

until now, it's a Commonwealth

@joseph-sj7do 7 ай бұрын

It was said that the Sun did not set on the British Empire cos it was World Wide but it is also because God did not trust Brits in the Dark and they might attempt to seize Heaven

@cristianJoker2512 7 ай бұрын

dude usa it's also British colony 😂

@TooMuchJack-BrawlStars 7 ай бұрын

@@cristianJoker2512 but at the time it wasn’t

@MrMajsterixx 7 ай бұрын

@@cristianJoker2512 not true, these days its more like the other way around

@LibertyMonk 6 ай бұрын

To be fair, $7 million was like a 20% of the annual revenue of the government at the time. It's a big number.

@freebird7284 6 ай бұрын

we could print that before lunch in 2024, thanks biden

@sport7553 2 ай бұрын

if you compare usa gdp growth as a whole vs alaskas from 1867-2024 then alaskas gdp should today be about 4,7 trillions for it to have been a good purchase... so either alaskans are beeing severly exploited and that gdp is going somewhere else or it was a really bad purchase considering it's current gdp of 63 billions... alaska should currently be contributing 18% to usas current gdp for it to have been a good purchase

@BeardedGuy_Tawhid Ай бұрын

@@sport7553 that amount was a 20% of gdp once off payment.. they need to make 20% of the gdp every year from the year of sale? Doubling an investment continuously (inflation ignored) is a bit far fetched? That’s huge profit margins even if it does deteriorate over time

@michaelsadams524 10 ай бұрын

This is absolutely amazing! I knew before watching this that "Sewards FollIy" was not accurate but that most of our ancestors were for the purchase of Alaska. But that was just scratching the surface. In these 23 minutes, I have learned more about Russia and America and this purchase than I had ever learned before! Hindsight, I am hooked!

@murrismiller2312 6 ай бұрын

this video is a bit stupid.... the trees/ forests were the natural resources MOST desired.

@KevinKickChannel 6 ай бұрын

I never knew that Russia was the only major European power to support the Unionists in the American Civil War. And then also selling Alaska to them for a bargain. I think historically overall, Russia has given more to America than the other way around. Think about relations with Russia in recent times what you want, I feel this video covers events and topics that aren't thought enough in American schools.

@augiegirl1 7 ай бұрын

The first line from Scott O’Dell’s children's novel “Island of the Blue Dolphins” speaks of hunters from the Aleutian Islands arriving, & the setting of that book is the real-life island of San Nicholas, just off the coast of California from Los Angeles. The fact that the Aleutians could travel this 2500-mile distance speaks to how skilled they were as seaman.

@swoondrones 7 ай бұрын

As always, people take advantage of natives and usurp them as forced labour. Such as the nature of usury economics.

@Skywatch3ryt 11 ай бұрын

This is not underrated this is educational and my favorite second channel to watch history and geography... Keep the good work man love your vids

@HindsightYT 11 ай бұрын

That means a lot, thank you!!

@tylerdurden7869 6 ай бұрын

Surely you mean “ is underrated”

@Breezeinyoutube 5 ай бұрын

What happened to Skywatche3ryt after this

@rosskardon7195 10 ай бұрын

Just imagine what the Cold War in the 1950's and 1960's would have been like if the 1867 purchase of Alaska was rejected and then Alaska was part of the Soviet Union in the 20th Century!

@loonowolf2160 10 ай бұрын

no ty i don't wanna imagine a sh*t scenario like that.

@depthcharger3607 9 ай бұрын

I acctually see Alaska as the remnants of the Russian Empire

@Oregon123 8 ай бұрын

Its pretty cool seeing all those old orthodox churches scattered all over Alaska.

@reneblom2160 7 ай бұрын

Since Tsar Nikolai II was in desperate need of money, he would probably just have found another buyer, in case the 1867 purchase was rejected. I believe that he actually offered Alaska to Liechtenstein, first. It's really funny hearing Russian propagandists trying very hard to push the narrative, that Russia didn't sell Alaska to the US and that it somehow still belongs to Russia. 🤣

@heatran4109 7 ай бұрын

Definitely would be a very interesting scenario. There’s always a chance that Alaska would break away from Russia during the civil war and become an independent state (likely under American and British protection). However, if the Soviets were able to take it then it’d likely become it’s own SSR like Ukraine or Belarus. Now obviously, the Soviets would place nuclear bombs here which might seem like a really significant event, but I don’t think it would be, essentially becoming a lessened down Cuban Missile Crisis. As for Cuba, the Americans would likely be fine with having nukes placed there as the threat of Alaska would’ve existed for over 15 years by that point. The Soviets would almost definitely still lose the Cold War, resulting in the modern world having an independent Alaska (likely speaking Russian), however it would almost definitely become a western democracy due to the close influence of the USA and Canada. Looking at it from that point of view, the only major world difference in the modern day would be a slight decrease in the overall power of the USA (now only 49 states), however I do believe that Alaska would become a major non NATO US ally, possibly even joining the alliance itself.

@dirklutz7292 6 ай бұрын

An amazing documentary. Your team’s passion for history comes through.

@ianmatthews7385 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for vid, really high quality! Subscribed 🙂

@mindexplorer6929 7 ай бұрын

Congratulations! This is a exceptionally well done documentation!

@Real_Amphy 9 ай бұрын

9:00 that is some very chipper music for the subject being discussed and it's funny as hell because of it.

@te4186 2 ай бұрын

I highly enjoyed this video..... Thank you for the obvious research and care in presenting what appears to be a historically accurate and unbiased account of this fascinating region. I will forever view this region in a different light !

@ColoradoBirds 10 ай бұрын

Only 17k subs?? Well you’ve got mine. Great video. Thank you man.

@mora103 10 ай бұрын

7.2 million dollars for a state bigger than a lot of countries sounds like a pretty good reason 😅

@Dave05J 9 ай бұрын

Not in today's Dollar! It's a l'or more than that today

@mora103 9 ай бұрын

@@Dave05J even then...its still cheap for a state 🤔 I got a friend who paid 2.5 million for a two hundred and fifty acres 😅

@mycocorleone4771 8 ай бұрын

@@Dave05J 117 million is still a good deal

@stevedunn5546 8 ай бұрын

100%

@hydrolito 7 ай бұрын

7.2 million would have been worth what is billions now due to inflation, some books were called penny dreadful because sold for a cent.

@Kudarat08 10 ай бұрын

I like your voice and explanations, subscribed

@youngthomasyorke4074 5 ай бұрын

This guy is soooo dutch

@rokadaprliinnysystemyaczno4761 3 ай бұрын

Excellent film. Learnt a lot. Thanks for making it

@NiX_aKi 10 ай бұрын

Alaska is big & rich enough to be a country on its own

@baneofbanes 10 ай бұрын

Big sure, but rich enough? No. And certainly not enough people.

@SuperCatacata 10 ай бұрын

@@baneofbanes Yeah, it ranks nearly dead last out of the 50 states in GDP... It's huge, but it's certainly not populated enough nor rich enough to be it's own country by modern western standards.

@bolshoibooze8010 9 ай бұрын

@@SuperCatacata When you're so low the only way out is up 📈📈📈

@trapjohnson 8 ай бұрын

@@baneofbanes Well, the Feds stand athwart nearly all development of their abundant Natural Resources, so I am not surprised.

@thomashenebry8269 7 ай бұрын

Not happening.

@yeetvtdtr5905 11 ай бұрын

Underrated channel

@NathanDayspring-re4ok 7 ай бұрын

Excellent presentation.

@curtiscoureau 10 ай бұрын

Amazing video

@user-cv5hn1jf3f 6 ай бұрын

Awesome video

@lakshmankarunaratne3541 9 ай бұрын

Thank you TOI for this information.

@draculastraphouse7863 10 ай бұрын

Russia is feeling really stupid right now for giving up Alaska lmaoooo

@NoVisionGuy 10 ай бұрын

They didn't want Britain to one day takeover Alaska back then, so they sold it to USA.

@sigwinfelicia2164 10 ай бұрын

I tink Those people are dead

@KennyNGA 10 ай бұрын

Really the tsar from back then is still alive? Thought they got nearly all Romanovs

@reneblom2160 7 ай бұрын

That's probably also why they have fabricated a story, that Russia only leased Alaska the the USA for 90 years. 😆 Nice try, Ivan. But all sales are final. No returns.

@KevinKickChannel 6 ай бұрын

@@sigwinfelicia2164 Yea I don't think 150 year old skeletons have the ability to feel stupid lol

@evoluna3056 6 ай бұрын

I didn't know this, thank you. Impressing.

@travisdeppe9172 8 ай бұрын

I've never heard the myth that Alaska was thought to be a bad purchase at some point. Everything I was taught in school during the 90s said the opposite.

@aymonfoxc1442 7 ай бұрын

Some politicians and newspapers were against the purchase of Alaska (believing it to be a waste of public funds that went beyond the responsibilities of government as imposed by the Constitution) but Seward paid newspapers in major population centres to display pro-purchase adverts and write positive stories in support of the purchase. In the US, politicians buying favourable news coverage was commonplace and even somewhat expected in that era).

@cshepard09 7 ай бұрын

same.. my history teachers always made it out that we fleeced the russians for an amazing piece of land. dont know where the creator is getting that idea from

@pwdrjnky 6 ай бұрын

That is evidence of an extremely poor education system, you must have grown up in the US, The most common way to be completely wrong yet absolutely certain that you’re right.

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

Actually, I grew up in the US educational system and I think it was pretty fair but that was a long time ago. They have purged a lot out to make room.@@pwdrjnky

@thany3 7 ай бұрын

Aha! So this is why in Japan there is the Okhotsk Limited Express rail service (limited express means stopping at fewer stations than regular express) that goes all the way to the northernmost tip of the mainland. Beautiful region btw. I also just assumed that name was borrowed from the Sea of Okhotsk, but never realised where that bit of sea got its name. Now I know 😀

@SeigeGoat 10 ай бұрын

Mark my words this guy will get a million views and subscribers in future

@DarthWaffle. 10 ай бұрын

Love, Hindsight’s ma

@user-wr2cd1wy3b 9 ай бұрын

This was a very well done documentary!

@thomashenebry8269 7 ай бұрын

What of it? That's their job.

@user-wr2cd1wy3b 7 ай бұрын

@@thomashenebry8269 Not their job, their choice, in hopes to make money, a choice made up of many creative choices, many of which I thought was well done. If not one recognizes what goes behind it, it can feel unappreciated.

@Preaplanes 7 ай бұрын

Keep in mind that the mercator distorts the size. Alaska is only about 1/6 of the USA, but that’s still a lot of land.

@kellensanna 7 ай бұрын

Great video. I think something people overlook when they talk about the purchase price of Alaska is with Russian America only having 800~ settlers the control they had on the area was still nebulous. The Russians basically converted a paper claim to cash in a time of need. People often think of modern strictly controlled border but the situation back then was much more flexible.

@virtualizeeverything 8 ай бұрын

dont let the be forgotten I love your work keep it up

@YeahYeahb-tch 6 ай бұрын

Seward was obviously a man ahead of time. People criticize because they don’t know better. Leave the diplomacy and tactics to your “Betters”

@cresenciashamsoddin2942 6 ай бұрын

Thanks telling the Story of Alaskan History

@VVayVVard 6 ай бұрын

12:31 Minor note, but around this time, the four southern islands in the Kuril Island chain were still part of Japan. Russians first entered them in 1945, after Japan surrendered to the US.

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

Yes, that probably encouraged Japan to surrender, in addition to the A-Bomb. How does Japan get Russians out of Japanesse territory once siezed? Are not the Russians still there?

@proveritate9312 8 ай бұрын

An absolutely great video with a happy outcome for the Natives of Alaska, and all the other Alaskan people ! What a good positive beautiful historical narrative ! Thank you so much !

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

I remember being taught in junior High school about the Alaska purchase from Russia & being called Seward's Folly and that it turned out not o be a folly at all. We were not taught about possible plans for purchase into British Columbia and nothing about the native peoples. Movies portrayed the lawlessness. My dad and his cousin, with his his Methodist uncle/father pastor moved to Ketchekan before WW2. They had to have navel passports. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, his mom had him move to Catalina with his praternal grandparents. As he already had a naval passport, he was allowed to do so. He enlisted in the USN and was assigned to China Lake, CA for the duration. His maternal grand-parents had economic ties to Japan & the Manchuco emporer before Dec 7th. His mother worked in a US defense industry and became an engineer for combat airplanes.

@shaundevrisky349 6 ай бұрын

Two of my favorite subjects have always been United States history and Russian history. (I was so infatuated with Russian history in school that my junior-high teacher took my Dutch last name De Vries and changed it to Mr. Devrisky for his own amusement 😁). You have taken these two subjects and merged them into twenty-three minutes of enjoyment. Thank-you!

@KonglomeratYT 7 ай бұрын

It doesn't take long for history to be misremembered. The Paris Peace Accords were completely forgotten by the 90s.

@leealangrothe5552 7 ай бұрын

I checked the Deed from Russia to the United States. The legal description on the Deed describes about 1676 acres. Meets and bounds description. Check it out. That is the reason the United States could not get permitting for the Alaska Pipeline before Ted Stevens and Don Young Created the ALASKA NATIONAL INTEREST LANDS CONSERVATION ACT (ANILCA) which changed sovereign native villages into C corporations requiring an attorney to represent them. Hence Alaska was purchased from Russia when Russia did not have title to the land.

@hydrolito 7 ай бұрын

Russians likely worried about British Empire taking it anyway and French likely sold Louisiana because worried couldn't hold it anyway either.

@Tbone1492 11 ай бұрын

Very Good breakdown. Alaskans trace there ancestry back to Mongolia. Maybe you can consider that Native!

@hydrolito 7 ай бұрын

Alaskans Innuits related to people of Finland, Northern Russia, Northern Canada and Greenland also.

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

Interesting suggestion: Do you have anything to support your statement, other than a pre-historic land bridge that Siberians probably crossed in pre-history?

@idontneedfriendsbutmyselfd3076 10 ай бұрын

If only Russians knew how valuable Alaska is today.

@liamhashmi7750 10 ай бұрын

they do

@Tony-qx8dm 10 ай бұрын

Russia should give all Russian territory to the USA for the cost of Ukraine war

@palabert 10 ай бұрын

@@Tony-qx8dmlol

@G-Man-half-life 10 ай бұрын

⁠@@saccount-z3Ukraine is an American 🇺🇸 Allie and friend and has been since 1991… Ukraine 🇺🇦 will continue to receive tanks, planes, guns, bullets, bombs, and much much more in their fight for freedom and democracy.

@TheCaptainSplatter 10 ай бұрын

They want it back which ain't happening

@DaS-jp6wn 9 ай бұрын

Russia first asked the leader of one of the smallest countries in the world if he wants to buy Alaska. Lichtenstein (between Swiss and Austria) but he said no. If not alaska would be german speaking and would belong one of the smallest countries in the world. Imagine how rich that 30.000 inhabiant Country Lichtenstein now would be. And imagine how the cold war would have been when russia would not have sold alaska. russian tanks in north amerika

@043muitoa 7 ай бұрын

And nuclear missiles

@thomashenebry8269 7 ай бұрын

Better stop reading this through beer goggles.

@shanechostetler9997 7 ай бұрын

They would have had it stolen from them, or sold it to the US.

@rmp7400 6 ай бұрын

Russia has always been our ally. Marxism came from the Rothschilds, (Karl Marx was a Rothschild as much as Klaus Schwab is) & together with Wall Street It was the Rothschilds who financed the Khazarian Revolution of Russia (and slaughter of nearly 200 million Russian, Ukrainian & Polish Christians) So if you hate what the Rothschilds did to Russia...better look at our USA politicians. At least Russia recovered from those who attacked her....the USA is just becoming even more Bolshevik...!sadly!

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

Is this true? Why on earth would Lictenstein want to buy Alaska? They could not hold it in the 19th century. I do not believe this post.

@gregorylyon1004 6 ай бұрын

When then Secretary of State William Seward put forth the recommendation to buy Alaska, it was utterly useless land in the forbidden North. Nobody really knew if it was worth a dime or not. Back then, I would have considered it a really bad purchase. But with the discovery of oil, it ended up a deal for America.

@Manikanta-hh7wp 3 ай бұрын

Fur, Fisheries, Strategic location in Pacific ocean itself is the good deal

@StephenLatimerWoody 8 ай бұрын

The possibility of the British Columbia mainland and the separate colony of Vancouver and Quadra Islands joining the United States was real, and there was interest by some people and politicians in the US to retain the entire west coast north of Mexico for the United States.

@Weberbros1 7 ай бұрын

Frankly, I believe that I could count the efforts of historians to prove that it was indeed a popular decision at the time.

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

This is too vauge. Can you explain?

@Weberbros1 4 ай бұрын

@@kenwalker687 22:33 he said it was countless. I just don't agree.

@AGrace-tw6ku 7 ай бұрын

The fact that we get free videos from Hindsight on KZfaq is priceless; keeping the education and knowledge alive. 👍👍👍 By the way, may I also remind you the fact that our Native American population in our motherland, the Continent of America before the European Colonizers arrived, was around 15 millions, while the European population in their motherland, the Continent of Europe was around 25 millions. Today, Native American population is 15 million, while the European population, in the Continents of America + Europe, is a staggering TWO BILLION! A shocking sad truth. 😔 In my humble opinion, it's about time to decolonize the Colonized lands, and return it to rightful owners Native American people. Notorious global cardinal crimes the Christian West has committed, and benefited a great deals, such as Slavery & Colonialism had long been over, why on earth is notorious Colonization still lingering on, may I ask? 😔

@oldfellaoldfella8535 7 ай бұрын

It's a gift.

@Sobabe-el5ke 7 ай бұрын

Priceless!

@mamajune3864 7 ай бұрын

If it's free, then you are a product.

@misterjorge2581 7 ай бұрын

It's very knowledgeable.

@mamajune3864 7 ай бұрын

My jaw dropped as I learnt Native American population in their motherland, the Continent of America before the European Colonizers arrived, was around 15 millions, while the European population in their motherland, the Continent of Europe was around 25 millions. Today, Native American population is 15 million, while the European population, in the Continents of America + Europe, is a staggering TWO BILLION. It is a shockingly sad truth 😔

@kentchamberlain5720 5 ай бұрын

FOUR ads in a row at 17:04 what the hell

@godbodyheru 10 ай бұрын

Excellent information, now maybe you can do a video in the Indeginous who were there before the natives

@joylarson9040 8 ай бұрын

The Russians were not totally barbaric to the Natives, You need to do the research. the Orthodox Church was very kind and wrote an alphabet for their language, and wrote the Bible in the language of the people, and educated the people in their own language. And the Natives were not slaves. It was only after the Americans took over that the native people were treated very badly.

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

As mentioned in the podcast, Russia was afraid that Britain might take Alaska from them and Russia were not friends with Britain at that time .

@jacksnyder7318 7 ай бұрын

My question is why was the Press discouraging the purchase ? The benefits for the price had to be obvious.

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

Too far away and cold much of the time. Nothing is up there and cost too much money. The Russians are afraid that the Brits will steal it from them. Why should the USA care?

@menalgharbwalsharq648 7 ай бұрын

Funny to think that owning territories in the north may become a question of survival in the future

@Koolarrow1987 6 ай бұрын

If picture of my grandmother Guadalupe Gonzales family now resting near calveras lake in Bejar de San Antonio Tejas. Unidios caballeros de Americas.

@michaelwalsh1278 6 ай бұрын

We purchased Alaska from the Russian Czar because the Czar asked us to do so. The Czar was concerned about Great Britton and France taking Alaska. He would have been unable to respond as he was in Saint Petersburg and would have had to send people all the way around the South American continent whereas Great Britton owned what is now Canada. Holding the land from Great Britton would have been impossible.

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

Don't forget the uniting of Siberia with western Russia was not started until 1891 with the trans-Siberian Railroad. That is a hell of a long-distance to travel in the early 19th century on horse, wagons, foot or ship.. Sell Alaska! Before the Brits...

@bjbolander620 7 ай бұрын

That's a whole different beast of it's own

@chairde 6 ай бұрын

I was taught the Steward’s folly history.

@sym9798 10 ай бұрын

I stayed the night at fort Ross in grade school

@ge2623 7 ай бұрын

My great, great, great grandfather was the realtor who had the contract to sell Alaska. He told our family that it was the curb appeal, the good school district and the open floorplan that really made the U.S. buy it. It also had a 7 million car attached garage.

@amemes4957 10 ай бұрын

The return on investment is astronomical we say say that this is the best real state deal it gave US 1000 times the return of what they gave 🎉

@Krack2805 6 ай бұрын

lmao at all of the zig zag back and forth sea route

@EmilioShack1982emilioRoman 9 ай бұрын

I'm bout to move to Alaska

@mirozynd4504 5 ай бұрын

What is sorely missing in this clip is the true historical perspective which clearly demonstrates that at the time of purchase by the USA, Alaska was worthless (its modern value depends on current technologies which weren't available at the time, in mid 19 century...it is wrong to judge the past from today's, modern perspectives of technological progress which occurred many years after the purchase.) ) If Alaska was valuable in 1867 why would Russia have any desire to sell it ? Even more telling is that it was Russia which initiated the negotiations and offered to sell Alaska to the US, with huge reservations and opposition among Americans. As the clip reveals, the Russian czar was willing to take any offer over $ 5.0 million so W. Seward actually overpaid at $ 7.2 million for the purchase. In conclusion, William Seward was a visionary who correctly predicted the future value of Alaska a long time before it was recognized by most people at the time. God Bless Alaska and God Bless Seward for this fantastic gamble on the future value of Alaska ! 👏👏👏🙏😁😁😁😁😁

@Manikanta-hh7wp 3 ай бұрын

Russia has to sell because Russia can't hold an attack from British(Canada today) from the East

@TZIMAKO. 7 ай бұрын

Alaska is a really beautiful country (place)!!!👍

@ticnatz 8 ай бұрын

Pootin wants Alaska back !!!! Good luck dude !!!

@043muitoa 7 ай бұрын

He have to buy it back but with today's money

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

I have been to Alaska,. They are Americans, the Natives also, including any Russian-American descendants. and the Orthodox church. Putin can bluster all he wants.

@Nadir-wm5dw 5 ай бұрын

Nice story I forgot it but major and secret Zone of Aircraft and submarine and other weapons produced there plus kind of war with Japan early last century about this island or Sthg elsr A/W Story of history besides Wealth of the land

@nbarealtalker 7 ай бұрын

The craziest thing about Alaska is how it was never a part of Canada.

@brianzybura8633 6 ай бұрын

That is because Canada did not become a country until 1867, whereas the USA became a country 91 years earlier Already Russia as a country was centuries old. So the USA and Russia were 'in the game' acquiring new territory. Russia had to sell Alaska because back in the day, Alaska was too far away to govern. Russia did damn good acquiring a huge land mass all the ways to the Bering Strait.

@Kahang- 11 ай бұрын

Holy shot no way this guy only got 9.9k view's i thought i was watching a 2 milion subcriber's channel

@quirinius 8 ай бұрын

As far as I know, it was the Vikings who were the first Europeans to discover the America's, and not the Russians (actually a Dane).

@joseph-sj7do 7 ай бұрын

Did the UK / British Empire try to buy it?

@Sevastopol91 7 ай бұрын

At the time, Russia had no physical or economical means to hold on to or defend Alaska, and therefore made the only right decision at the time: to sell it rather than just lose it "for free." My only question is whether they could've/should've negotiated a better price.

@cshepard09 7 ай бұрын

the only problem is everyone else also saw it is a liability, only after the vast natural resources were discovered did it become such a steal

@andrewharrison44 6 ай бұрын

They did sell it for a better price. The tsar authorised the sale for $5Mn and the US paid $7.2Mn - a premium of almost 50%. At that time there were only 800 Russian settlers so the price/man was enormous - about $9000/head

@xxjoshuaxx23 6 ай бұрын

2 cents per acre is not a good price even back then....this is huge land with so much resources that russia could of used later@@andrewharrison44

@user-ts4yf3fe9u 5 ай бұрын

Good thing Russian sell Alaska to the US when it did, if they don't Japan would have annexed it after the Russo-Japanese war. Of course it would lost Alaska to the British during the Crimea War earlier then that. So many way for Russia to lose Alaska to a foreign powers...

@terrywayneHamilton 7 ай бұрын

It is simply a geostrategic /expansion westward move by the governing body. The U.S. needed to secure all it's boarders and this deal put the U.S. on both sides of Canada thus neutralizing Canada. Mexico is likewise surrounded by the U.S. holdings in Central America and in Cuba which secure Gulf of Mexico and the important Mississippi river . When it comes to a country's security then SIZE is really important. This is known as 'Check Mate' in chess.

@nielsdaemen 6 ай бұрын

Selling Alaska was one of Russias biggest mistakes!

@k7y 6 ай бұрын

$7.2 million is about $150 million Today. Alaska Actual worth today is half trillion dollars. Which would be about 25 billion in 1867

@brianzybura8633 6 ай бұрын

So where did the USA find this 7.2 million dollars back in 1867?

@franciscopagan3255 6 ай бұрын

7.2$ millions are aprox 18.1 $ billions today!😮

@brianzybura8633 6 ай бұрын

@@franciscopagan3255 Well, okay, but you FAILED to read my question?! I ASKED where did the U.S. government find that kind of money back in the day to pay the Russians that kind of money for Alaska? Kindly pay attention to what you are reading--PLEASE!

@thelloyd87 6 ай бұрын

2:37 downside is 7 dollar Gatorade

@tombaily29 7 ай бұрын

Knowing what we do now. It feels like we committed robbery with how valuable Alaska is.

@toomtamsoumountha2793 10 ай бұрын

$7,2 mil?

@mortophobegaming6454 7 ай бұрын

i hear a dutch voice, correct?

@dreamervanroom 7 ай бұрын

Did Canada try to buy it?

@brianzybura8633 6 ай бұрын

No , never. That is because Canada did not become a country until 1867. That time Canada being so small a country had no national treasury the size of the USA and Russia.

@swoondrones 7 ай бұрын

Why didn't Russia know the value of Alaska to sell it?

@Manikanta-hh7wp 3 ай бұрын

Russia knows but Russia can't hold British attack so better option is to get some money instead of losing it after the war with british and with no money

@sergsilvestr1217 4 ай бұрын

At that time, it was impossible for Russia to have control over Alaska and manage it. Communication lines couldn’t support saddlers. Any attempt would be waste of money.

@younousyoutoube 6 ай бұрын

Soviets must have been punching the air out of anger because of this

@user-ts4yf3fe9u 5 ай бұрын

Considering that the Soviets shot the rightful owner of Russian, that like a house thief getting angry that he don't get the car that wasn't park in the garage because the previous owner already sell it.

@thecoasterthatguy 10 ай бұрын

Isn't 7.2 million very cheap...? Like, sometimes you pay 7.2 million for a house or a penthouse..

@Black-And_White 10 ай бұрын

Russian Empire was poor that year

@laocarlos9406 10 ай бұрын

7.2 millions dollars in 1867 is equivalent about 151 millions dollars in 2022.

@RHDRich206 10 ай бұрын

@@laocarlos9406still pretty cheap if you think about it lol

@thecoasterthatguy 10 ай бұрын

Still cheap for an entire state, sometimes you pay 151 million for 5 houses

@hybrid6ix885 8 ай бұрын

@@laocarlos9406much much more than that.

@dsxa918 5 ай бұрын

"Divide Alaska in half and make Texas the third largest state" is such a classic goofy joke

@Karl-Benny 6 ай бұрын

So where is the Source of your information that the public was in Fact in favour of the Purchase

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

This is KZfaq. Do your own research.

@sport7553 2 ай бұрын

@HindsightYT if you compare usa gdp growth as a whole vs alaskas from 1867-2024 then alaskas gdp should today be about 4,7 trillions for it to have been a good purchase... so either alaskans are beeing severly exploited and that gdp is going somewhere else or it was a really bad purchase considering it's current gdp of 63 billions... alaska should currently be contributing 18% to usas current gdp for it to have been a good purchase

@willylao5430 6 ай бұрын

Cities in the form of a line. Ouch!! 😂😂

@jimmywillims5929 6 ай бұрын

That little 7 million would be like 150 million in today’s dollar

@interwebtubes 5 ай бұрын

Yeah I worked with a lady who used to live up in Alaska and I asked her about it and she quickly explained to me about the government check that she received while living in the state and what it was for And I’m thinking about the taxes that I paid however I was nice and warm where I was so they can keep the. Money, I’ll. Take the hot sunshine

@NotTheLastOne 6 ай бұрын

I wonder how they counted the natives of Alaska

@jaimendaniel5578 Ай бұрын

Publishing negative opinions about a prospective purchase was not candid. They must have had the ulterior motive of pretending lack of pubic support, in order to lower the purchasing bid. The about to be seller would be thus willing to lower its asking price in order to defuse the perceived widespread opposition to the deal.

@jameshudson169 6 ай бұрын

worked out so good. we're thinking of buying greenland.

@kenwalker687 4 ай бұрын

Do doubt this is "tounge i check". The Danes refused and the people of Greenland would be horrified. Sorry Trump.

@jameshudson169 4 ай бұрын

@@kenwalker687 you think the people of alaska were horrified?

@Dinteen949 10 ай бұрын

9:10 "She passed a law, that declared all natives in Russian America to be *subjects* of Russia ... *forced into labor.* " "Russia ruled the natives with an *iron fist.* " "They took the *children* of the natives' leaders *hostage* , and they frequently resorted to *extreme force.* " *(CHEERY, UPLIFTING MUSIC PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND)*

@I_Have_The_Most_Japanese_Music 10 ай бұрын

Sounds like what Russia is doing in Ukraine right now.

@reneblom2160 7 ай бұрын

That's what 'Russkiy Mir' is really about. This Russian concept hasn't changed much, for the past three centuries.

@aeniechka 7 ай бұрын

@@reneblom2160the US literally did genocide of almost all native Americans on their land… like Spain, like the UK. That was “ok” for countries of the time. And huh, actually Russia didn’t treated the natives so badly. Most of these words are just a bad translation or tries of manipulation, Russian bureaucratic machine usually just taxed all natives by furs, like the Empire did in Siberia. Alaskan case was pretty much the same, huh. Almost all local tribes are fighting each other -> the Empire proposes protection for the weakest and taxes them -> the Empire conquers the strongest tribe and taxes them by force -> the entire region is under Russian control. Pretty liberal strategy, comparatively to strategies of other countries of that time 😅

@Habik87_29 7 ай бұрын

@@reneblom2160 What about the American Mir in which 90% of the Indians were exterminated?

@reneblom2160 6 ай бұрын

@@Habik87_29 I have no interest in russian whataboutism, since it's a tool that is being used to divert the attention away from the topic at hand.

@railwaymechanicalengineer4587 7 ай бұрын

FOLLY OR FOLLY - THE MEANING HAS CHANGED !!! I think there maybe a misunderstanding of the word "Folly" !!! My Uncle lived in a "Folly". A mock Castle complete with drawbridge & even a moat. But it was built by an American who had migrated to England, around 1870, in the Victorian era (1840-1902 the reign of Queen Victoria). Known as a "Folly" because Castles became useless as Castles by 1380, when gunpowder first arrived from China, to Europe. But such "Follies" (and there are many in Britain), did make nice impressive homes, implying the owner was important & wealthy, & in reality often used more modern methods of construction !!!! So "Sewards Folly" could mean virtually the exact opposite of what it is generally thought to mean today !!!! Definition of "Folly" as per CURRENT Oxford English Dictionary = Quote "A lack of good sense or foolishness" Unquote !!!

@gregorylyon1004 6 ай бұрын

It was called Seward's Ice Box. Lol

@michellapierre9123 6 ай бұрын

Always tought Canada was the 1 who sold Alaska to USA…

@RustyCyler 5 ай бұрын

I like dippy eggs. They're pretty good.

@bounce12 7 ай бұрын

Exactly what Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador could of looked like if the right person stepped up to help the people of these provinces

@adamdriver1016 6 ай бұрын

What, American territory?

@bounce12 6 ай бұрын

@@adamdriver1016 Canadian

@richardstamp5068 9 ай бұрын

So Russia lost money fighting a war in Crimea and needed to sell Alaska. Now 2023, Russia is losing money fighting war in Crimea so should they sell Siberia to USA?

@nightsidechild. 8 ай бұрын

There's no war in Crimea, Russia or Ukraine. But if you want something from Russia, there's some rockets, absolutely free with free shipping.

@TimGrad 7 ай бұрын

China wants Siberia. They are already planning Chinese cities there. China has already marked Russian areas as Chinese in the official Chinese maps.